Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2002, Page 41

A Contribution to the Study of the Medieval Icelandic Farm: the Byre
Hrunamannaafréttur (Kristján Eldjárn
1949, see Figure 4). This site, which is in
the highland margins, some 300 m above
sea level, was fírst described in 1895 and
was partly excavated by Daniel Bruun in
1897 (Bruun 1928). Unusually for its
time the 1945 excavation revealed not
only the dwelling complex but also sev-
eral detached animal shelters and a
smithy (Figure 5). It appeared that the
dwelling had been covered by a thick
tephra layer before the roofs collapsed
into the individual rooms and this was
considered to account for the remarkable
preservation of the ruins. The dwelling
complex is unique among medieval
farmsteads in Iceland in that a byre and a
possible bam are connected directly to
and accessed from the inside of the com-
plex.
The byre measured 8 x 3,80 m on the
inside and was divided into three aisles.
The central aisle was paved and extended
from a doorway leading to a hall in the
south to another doorway leading to an
entranceway and a small cell at the north
end of the complex. The rows of stalls
were clearly visible, demarcated by large
upright slabs. On the westem side 9
stalls were identified but only 5 on the
eastem side where a doorway lead to a
barn measuring 6,2 x 2,2 m. In the field
surrounding the dwelling remains of
three buildings identified as sheep-sheds
were excavated. One was badly eroded,
situated at the back of the dwelling, at
least 4 m long and 1,25 m wide on the
inside. Slabs which had made up a
manger along the eastern long-wall were
observed. A second sheep shed was
located 20 m northwest of the dwelling
complex, also orientated north-south. It
measured 10,5 x 2,4 m on the inside and
had slightly curved long walls. Remains
of mangers made of vertical flat slabs
were found along both walls. The third
sheep shed was by far the largest, meas-
uring 22 m in length. It was divided into
three rooms, an 18 x 2 m sheep stall,
another 4,5 x 1,3 m stall and a 4,75 x 2,1
m barn. The stalls both had mangers
made of slabs along one side. Kristján
Eldjám calculated that some 160 sheep
could have been sheltered in these build-
ings. Þórarinsstaðir is the only site where
medieval sheep sheds have been excavat-
ed in Iceland. The location of the farm in
the snow-heavy Icelandic highlands will
certainly have forced the farmer to build
shelters for all his livestock, but the 1945
excavation was also unusually thorough
in investigating all visible stmctures at
the site. The ruins were full of a tephra
layer, which was later identified as the
ash from the eruption of Hekla in 1104,
suggesting an llth century date for these
ruins. While the largest sheep-shed
seemed to have been enlarged at least
twice, the structures did not otherwise
show signs of repair or rebuilding and the
excavator concluded that the site had
only been occupied for a matter of
decades.
The farm Bergþórshvoll has become
famous as the scene of the buming of
Njáll and his family described in Njáls
saga (Figure 6). According to the saga's
chronology the farm was destroyed by
fire in 1011. Njáls saga has long been
considered the masterpiece of medieval
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